


Matchmaker

by reen212000



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Romance, hurt comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-16
Updated: 2009-04-16
Packaged: 2017-10-13 08:04:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reen212000/pseuds/reen212000
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David Sheppard never thought of himself as a matchmaker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU, and the Sheppard boys have recruited a new astrophysicist. Oh, and in my mind, David is older than John.

This was his fault.

How was he to know introducing his brother to an arrogant astrophyicist would lead to this?

 _Oh God. Not again._ They’re writing on Ronon’s pristine white napkins again, and their argument is getting louder. David pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking about how this came to happen.

Sheppard Energies needed a new lead scientist to begin a project that John created, all by himself. David had "decided" to return from travelling the world; he spent more time in front of the camera than behind a desk And the women... Okay, that, he would miss. But he needed to help John.

Honestly, if it weren’t for Veronica’s repeated calls, David would’ve never known about John’s predicament. He would never forget the message she left, tearing him a new one. Why? Because his oh-so-responsible brother, John, had ended up in the hospital for exhaustion, and fell ill shortly after.

 _“I found him passed out on a bench at the Black and White Ball, David!”_ Veronica screamed. _“Everyone thought he was drunk! There are pictures of him all over New York. He was unconscious, David! And no one stopped to see if anything was wrong. Get your highly tanned ass back here, or else!”_

Once, he and Veronica tried to date; they were much better friends than lovers. But it never stopped her from telling him exactly what was on her mind. David boarded the first plane out of Spain, leaving the sun and the women behind.

By the time he had settled back into the family penthouse, John was returned home. Veronica had set up a live-in nurse to care for John until he recovered. On her third and last day, she had walked out of his room covered in oatmeal. And she kept walking. As she passed, she mumbled about her things, and left.

David came close to the door, only to duck a flying bowl.

“I told you I didn’t want any!” John’s hoarse, scratchy voice had yelled from somewhere in his room.

David had entered cautiously, hands in pockets, surveying the bright room. John’s phone vibrated itself off the table, and buzzed on the floor. Fifty-four calls had been missed, and the mailbox was full.

“What the hell are you doing here?” John grumbled, clinging to the bedpost, half-dressed.

Thus began their tumultuous reacquaintance, and David’s desperate search for a scientist.

He found one Doctor Rodney McKay with two Ph.D.s, and more degrees than he could fit on a wall. McKay was willing to work for almost nothing; the man had nearly as much in the bank as the Sheppard boys put together. When John surfaced from his pet project, David seized the opportunity and set up an interview.

It’s not that David wanted to be the hero. He only returned to the family business because he was worried about John. Especially since John was slumming as a theoretical scientist; he had fired the last one after discovering the man was selling trade secrets. It was the first time David had paid attention to John’s scribbles; his little brother was scary smart.

Glancing up from his heavy contemplation of the candle, David snapped back to reality when John ordered another round of beers.

Ronon smiled indulgently as he placed the beers in front of his patrons. One day, David would find out why the very large man liked John so much. Reaching behind the bar, Ronon grabbed a stack of more cloth napkins.

“Ronon –!” David choked. “Haven’t we bought enough napkins from you?”

The restaurant manager waved a dismissive hand. “You worry too much. Instead of throwing out the messed up ones, I just wash them and keep them for these idiots.”

David was still embarrassed; John and Rodney first met in the men’s room. One wall was still covered with mathmatical graffitti.

“What do you mean it’s not right?”

“John, in order to find that number, you have to –”

“Yeah, yeah, I see it.” John wrote down a letter, then laughed. “You know if you switch these two numbers, take out the symbols –”

Rodney rolled his eyes. “A sexy prime. Yes, yes. I forgot that you were twelve.” Now, he too joined in laughter.

Parametrize. Fractals. Logarithms. Golden Mean. Sexy primes. _Whatever._

All terms David had never heard, and would never understand. And now John and Rodney are making math jokes. Shaking his head, David watched them, each with playful, bright eyes, and goofy grins. It started with math, then moved on to physics. Then sci-fi movies and tv shows.

Rubbing his temple, David signaled for the check. Rising, he finally caught the attention of the other two men.

“Hey,” John said.

“Where ya goin’?” Rodney asked.

David laughed. “If you haven’t noticed, we’ve been here for nearly three hours.”

Both men looked around the restaurant. True, the dinner crowd had dwindled, and Ronon sat at the bar with a glass of wine talking with a few of his staff.

“So, if you’ll excuse us, Doctor McKay,” David said, giving a mock salute. “We’ll be off.” Then he saw it. The light went out in John’s eyes; the warm gleam that had taken residence there all night, dimmed. It happened every time John and Rodney separated.

David had tried very hard in the past to resist that kicked puppy look John conjured up. But tonight it was excruciating. “You know what? Why don’t you two take the car. I’ll grab a cab.”

John eyed him quizzically; he knew how much David liked the towncar. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” David replied, tossing a lopsided smile. “Veronica’s back in town, so I thought I’d drop by.”

Rodney smiled a smile that David had never seen before; warm and inviting. When it reached his eyes, they turned an electric blue.

 _Oh God._

They were ridiculously smitten.

With... each other.

He had to go.

“I’ve got to go. You kids have fun, and don’t work all night.” Waving good bye to Ronon, David rushed to exit the restaurant. It’s not that he didn’t know about John, he just never... He never thought that’s what it would look like. Two starry-eyed people in that touchy-feely, I-don’t-know-what-do-you-wanna-do, quick kisses behind trees kind of stage.

Right now, David felt a little confused by the swiftness of it all. Wandering to the curb, he tried to hail a cab on the busier street. Hearing Rodney’s clear laughter, David glanced up the block.

Two figures in silhouette against the headlights of an approaching car. John’s hair was unmistakable, as was Rodney’s pointy nose. They were so close, David thought he should look away. But he couldn’t.

Rodney reached up, stroking John’s cheek; John turned into the caress. And finally, they kissed. Tentative at the beginning, like any first kiss. Assuming, of course, it was their first kiss. Then a little deeper. _Okay, now I really have to go._

The towncar smoothly pulled into a space; John grabbed Rodney’s hand, pulling him inside the car.

David could barely see through the tinted glass as the car came to a stop next to him at the curb. Opening the window, Rodney stuck his head out. “Sure we can’t drop you somewhere?”

“I’m good. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Good night then.”

“Night, Dave!”

The car pulled into traffic; he could see John and Rodney sitting close together behind dark windows. If he were honest with himself, David would admit he was avoiding their happy faces. He actually forgot John had dimples until tonight.

Staring out of the cab’s dirty window minutes later, David Sheppard realized that, yes, this was his fault. Okay, he never saw the McKay thing coming; who could, really? A hundred dollars in napkins and paint later, he could finally take responsibility.

Standing in front of Veronica’s building, David dialed her number. “Hey, Ronnie. Guess what?”

John was happy, happier than David had ever seen him. Now, he felt like the hero of the story.

oOoOoOo

Thank you for your indulgence in my indulgence!


End file.
